The present invention relates to processes and methods for treating garments. In particular, the invention relates to the treatment of garments made of cotton, cotton blends and synthetic fabrics for the purpose of imparting durable press properties thereto.
A variety of techniques and additives have been suggested for use in the treatment of such fabrics to obtain durable press properties. Suggestions include those contained in a paper entitled Garment Finishing by Jimm C. Barbery, dated Nov. 8, 1991 AATC Symposium, Long Beach, Calif. Barbery suggests the use of a precatalysed low-formaldehyde glyoxal resin (10%), a non-ionic wetter (0.2%), an aminofunctional silicone (3%), a cationic high density polyethylene (2%), and acetic acid--56% (0.1%) in aqueous solution wherein water comprises the remaining 84.7%. Barbery suggests loading the machine with the garments prior to the addition of the liquid mix components. Barbery also suggests that once the mixture components are added, the garments be allowed to soak for between six and ten minutes without agitation. Finally, Barbery suggests that the garments be pressed and cured.
In a paper entitled A Pressing Need for a New Wrinkle--DP Finishing of Garment Dyed Products, by Richard Brown, Charles Tomasino, Jimm C. Barbery, John D. Turner and Don Jones (date of publication unknown), published by the research committee of the Northern Piedmont Section of AATCC, the authors thereof suggest that a process similar to the one described in the Barbery paper be applied to garments which have been garment dyed. Again, the AATCC paper, the use of acetic acid (56%) is suggested. The AATCC paper describes a formulation containing methylated DMDHEU (dimethylol dihydroxethylene urea) and does not indicate that a functional silicone was used.
In a paper entitled Two Recent Developments in Durable Press Finishing of Cotton Fabrics by John D. Turner of Cotton, Inc., (date of publication unknown), Turner suggests the use of amino silicone alone and, as an alternative, in combination with diethylene glycol and coco-diethanolamide. In addition, Turner suggests the addition of acetic acid (100%) in the amount of 0.2% as a percentage of the bath weight. The Turner formulation also included high density polyethylene. The Turner process is directed to fabrics, not garments, as evidenced by Turner's concern about sewing lubrication.
In another paper by Turner of Cotton, Inc. entitled Improving Durable Press Properties of Garment Dyed Goods, dated Feb. 25, 1988, Turner suggests the use of etherified DMDHEU (5%-15%), magnesium chloride hexahydrate (1.5%-4.0%), acetic acid (0.1%-0.2%), and a polyethylene softener (2.0%-5.0%). The finish mixture is applied to garments which are still wet from the dying process. Turner does not suggest the use of any wetting agent. Since the garments treated in the Turner process are already wet from the dying process, determining the proper formulation is difficult and the degree of agitation required to ensure the proper amount of resin is deposited in the garments is difficult and imprecise.
The processes and methods of the present invention constitute an improvement upon the foregoing techniques. In particular, the present invention provides a commercially practicable method for imparting durable press characteristics to fabrics containing cotton. Garments treated by the methods set forth herein may be made to have durable press and softness characteristics which are both superior and consistent from batch to batch.
The present invention provides a technique for maximizing the durable press characteristics while maintaining an acceptable level of garment wear and durability.